George picked up the racing suit with a cold expression. "It's a deal."

Hearing that he was really going to race, the group of friends around them panicked and kept trying to talk him out of it.

"George, he's been racing for years. You've never even been on a track. There's no way you can beat him! Don't gamble with your life like this, okay?"

"Yeah, you're married now. There's no need to risk your life for Kimberly! If something happens to you, what about Cora?"

Even so, George would not listen to a word. He even automatically ignored Cora's name when his friends mentioned it. Instead, he looked deeply at Kimberly, who was standing to the side.

"I won't lose. I can give her the thrills she wants too."

Hearing his resounding declaration, Cora's eyes flickered. She unconsciously clenched her hands.

Several friends saw that Cora had arrived and rushed over, asking her to help persuade him. They pushed her toward the prep room.

Looking at the door so close in front of her, Cora's emotions churned. She did not understand racing, but she knew George had no chance of winning.

Racing against a professional driver so rashly, he might not even make it off the track alive.

Although she had already decided to let go, she still could not bring herself to watch him go to his death. So after careful consideration, she raised her hand to push open the door.

The next second, Kimberly walked out from inside. Seeing Cora, her eyes lit up with a meaningful smile. "Did you come to convince George to give up the race? I'd suggest you not waste your effort, because George won't possibly listen to you.

"Do you know how much he loves me? Once, on a whim, I said I wanted to run away with him. He got on a plane with me without any hesitation. After we were caught and brought back, he'd rather endure family punishment than betray me.

"In high school, so many people sent me love letters. He tore up every single one he saw, forcing them to transfer classes or drop out. He even got into a fight with a whole group of people for me and ended up hospitalized while covered in blood.

"To him, you're just a fallback option, a second choice. How could he possibly give me up because of something you say?"

Looking at Kimberly's undisguised gloating expression, Cora felt a sharp pain in her heart.

"He loves you that much, but what about you? Since you've chosen to be with him, why aren't you stopping him when you know he'll definitely lose and might even die?"

Kimberly looked as if she had heard something hilarious. She showed a mocking expression.

"Why would I stop him? Don't you think it's fascinating to watch a man abandon his principles and throw himself into danger for you? Since I've decided to choose him, of course, I want him to prove that he loves me enough to give up his life for me.

"This is the perfect test, isn't it? Of course, it's normal that you don't understand. After all, George would never risk his life like this for you."

Each word hit Cora like a blow, making her chest tighten painfully.

Many words surged to her throat. Her lips parted slightly, but she could not get a single word out.

Watching her expression, Kimberly took her phone and dialed George's number.

"Since you still won't give up, I'll prove it to you one more time. Call him and say you've been in a car accident and you're in the operating room. Let's see if he'll give up this race for you."

The dial tone echoed through the hallway. Soon, the call connected.

"Cora, I'm in a meeting. Whatever it is can wait until I get home."

He did not even give Cora a chance to speak before hanging up.

Looking at the screen going dark, Cora's hand dropped limply to her side. She lowered her head. A resigned smile curved her lips as she said softly, "You won again."

On the winding, twisting track, two race cars alternated positions, neither giving an inch.

Cora stood in the viewing area, watching the constantly changing speeds on the screen.

George's car maintained the highest speed, but he could not shake off Tyler, who kept varying his pace with practiced ease. Even a novice could see that Tyler was deliberately provoking him the entire way.

George paid him no attention. He pushed himself to the limit, flooring the accelerator on the final lap. But even giving it everything he had, his car was still a considerable distance behind Tyler's.

Then, on every curve, Tyler would swing to the outside lane, deliberately closing the gap between their cars.

Seeing this utterly humiliating behavior, everyone thought George would surely lose and began sighing in disappointment.

Cora picked up her bag, preparing to leave.

A few seconds later, hysterical screaming erupted behind her. She turned at the sound to see George's black race car crash into Tyler's like a madman on the final curve.

In an instant, the white sports car swerved violently to avoid the collision, forced to veer off the track.

George seized the opportunity and shot across the finish line. The price he paid was losing control of his speed and slamming straight into the guardrail.

The entire car flipped on its side. The front end shattered into pieces and burst into flames.

Witnessing this scene firsthand, everyone in the viewing area gasped. No one had expected George to be crazy enough to win the race this way.

Even Kimberly, who had seemed somewhat bored, screamed and ran onto the track. Seeing her appear, George, covered in blood, stumbled out of the car.

Then, he brought her over to Tyler's car and raised his hand high, making the gesture reserved for winners.

"You lost. For the rest of your life, you're never allowed to come near Kimberly again!"

Cora had known him for nine years. He had always been cool, refined, steady as a rock. This was the first time she had seen George so spirited and fierce.

It would also be the last.

Amid the thunderous cheers, she turned silently and left. This time, she would have no lingering attachments.

…

It was the early morning hours, and George still had not returned. He only sent a message saying he would be on a business trip for a week.

Soon after, Kimberly also sent a photo of George taking her and a group of friends to a victory celebration.

[George said he's taking me abroad to celebrate his victory.]

Cora only replied with one word: [Great.]

Taking advantage of this time, she packed her luggage and made a detailed travel itinerary. After finishing her plans, she first booked a flight back to her hometown.

The airline called to confirm the itinerary. She listened carefully and repeated it back. "Yes, I booked the ticket for a week from now..."

"A ticket? Where are you going?"

Hearing George's voice, Cora turned to find he had returned without her noticing.

She avoided his confused gaze, hung up the phone, and answered honestly. "Back to my hometown to see my parents."

George nodded without asking further. He pulled out an exquisitely wrapped gift.

"Cora, you said before you didn't want jewelry or bags. I picked out a perfume for you this time. Do you like it?"

Cora unwrapped it and sniffed it perfunctorily before setting it down. "I like it."

Her flat response surprised him. He stepped forward and gently pulled her into his arms, sounding concerned.

"What's been going on with you lately? I was away on business for so long, and you didn't send me a single message. Are you in a bad mood?"

Cora had not expected him to notice such a small detail while he was with Kimberly. However, she remembered how she used to share everything with him, from seeing a flower to hearing some gossip.

For three years, he had endured daily messages from someone he did not love. When that person suddenly stopped, any normal person would notice.

Thinking of that, she did not find it strange anymore.

Seeing her remain silent, George thought she was truly upset. He leaned down to kiss her, but she pushed him away, which was a stark contrast from her usual behavior. She turned toward the bathroom.

"It's just my period."

Looking at her retreating figure, George felt stunned. Her period started quite a while ago. Was it still not over?

The next evening, George said he had prepared a surprise and took Cora out. When they arrived at the restaurant, the server led them directly to a private room on the top floor.

The moment the door opened and she saw the room filled with flowers and candles, Cora's eyes sharpened.

George smiled and pulled out a chair for her. "Cora, do you like it?"

She froze for a few seconds without speaking, then sat down silently. He picked up the menu and ordered a table full of dishes, all her favorites. When the food arrived, he even cracked crab legs and deveined shrimp for her.

Throughout the evening, he kept finding topics to talk about and even brought up memories from when they were dating.

"Remember when we first got together? You'd come with me to all my classes every day. My professor kept calling on you so often that he privately asked me why everyone else accompanies their girlfriends to class, but with you, it was reversed..."

Faced with this sudden warmth from him, Cora felt uncomfortable. "What's gotten into you today?"

"I just noticed you haven't seemed happy lately, so I wanted to cheer you up. There's another surprise coming soon."

As he spoke, he checked his watch, then drew back the curtains.

Cora turned to look and heard a series of loud booms. Over a thousand fireworks rose into the sky, bursting open in brilliant, dazzling displays. Watching the heart shapes blooming in the air, Cora was frozen in place.

"You arranged all this?"

Before George could answer, the door to the private room burst open. Kimberly barged in with a group of people. Someone was snapping several photos with a Polaroid camera.

"Cora, are you satisfied with tonight's date? This was my carefully planned surprise. Isn't it romantic?"

Hearing Kimberly's smug tone, Cora's face, filled with complicated emotions, went rigid. She turned to look at George and asked the question again, though her voice now trembled.

"You arranged all this?"

George did not notice the change in her tone. He shook his head slightly and smiled at Kimberly. "No, it was Kimberly's idea. Why?"

Kimberly looked triumphant. "That's right. I heard George stood you up on your wedding anniversary, so I came up with this idea. The restaurant, flowers, candles, dishes, and fireworks were all my recommendations. I wanted to make sure you had an unforgettable evening.

"Oh, and did you get that perfume? I spent forever picking it out. Do you like it?"

It turned out all of this was Kimberly's arrangement. No wonder George was being so proactive.

In an instant, Cora recalled all the things Kimberly had done in college to push them together. Kimberly had told George to buy flowers, take her to amusement parks, send her good night messages at the same time every day.

He had followed through like a robot. Even his tone during the confession had been stiff.

Hearing the group of people around them praise Kimberly's clever arrangements, a deep sense of powerlessness washed over Cora.

Kimberly had arranged all this just to prove one thing to her. No matter how hard she tried to hold onto the past, the beginning, the end, and even the middle of her relationship with George had never been in her control.

From start to finish, everything had been in Kimberly's hands.

Cora could only accept it, and George was perfectly content with that.